I don’t suppose God has a head to scratch to muse about the trouble mankind gets itself into, whether it’s the current global financial melt down, or the never ending sequence of wars, social conflicts, personal addiction and dependency of one kind or another.
What I can be certain of, is about the truth of God’s Word which is just as relevant today as it was to Saul (later renamed Paul) on his trip down the Damascus road (Acts 9). Despite popular belief, this was not the moment of Paul’s big bang conversion, when he was confronted by the vision of the risen Christ. Blinded by the glory of the Lord (light), he simply ate dirt when he fell to the ground. Paul was later converted or changed when he called out to the Lord (Acts 9:11), receiving not only his sight (with new vision) but also the Holy Ghost in a house in the city of Damascus, in a street named Straight, which still bears that name today.
Paul himself then became a believer and member of the early church, who called themselves ‘the Way’ (Acts 9:2), perhaps reflecting the way of life or the way of salvation.
The power of conversion became a reality to Paul and others in the New Testament story when they spoke in tongues, one of many gifts and benefits given freely by God to His people. The truth with proof is evident today, as many thousands of RCI members worldwide will testify, of how God changed their lives for the better…..signed and sealed forever.
The truth is, tongues (glossolalia) is not redundant, despite the error of teaching or misguidance of others. In fact it is the only gift involving praise and prayer to God. There have been many Spirit Filled churches throughout history praising God in the prayer language of men and angels as the scriptures put it. Many more churches today do exactly the same, with people drawn from every culture and social background, brought together by one common experience they can all relate to, one common story that still pours out from Pentecost (Acts 2).
Pentecost kick started a faith driven loving revelation, that reaches out to those who seek truth in a world that beguiles many, by insisting that its PC to think that there are a thousand different ways to Heaven.
Paul asks the risen Lord at Damascus “… what do you want me to do?” I could hazard at a guess that many have asked a similar question. The answer given by Jesus in Acts 9:6 makes it plain what ‘must’ be done. This was the same message Peter gave on Pentecost (Acts 2:38) and as Luke puts it in Acts 22:16: ‘And now why are you waiting? ‘Arise and be baptised, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord’. These are not optional extras, but essential, in fact mandatory to be saved.
God’s Word is described as sharper than a two edged sword, it challenges preconceptions, dividing misinformation and dogma from God’s truth, plan and purpose. Now, that may come as a bit hard to those who peddle soft cuddly man-made religion, which has nothing to do with God of the bible.
God makes it perfect, complete and simple, which is why salvation comes with a kit bag of goodies that can’t be earned, but come on the back of a) reconsidering where you stand with God (shorthand for repentance – turning around your thinking), b) water baptism (this means to be dunked under the water, to be submerged – like a burial service, saying goodbye to that old ‘me’ and then c) this is the life changing bit, by grace, God fills you with His Spirit of redemption, lifting you up from a messed up world, through his Son, who willingly paid a price he did not owe at Calvary, to set us free.
This is God’s liberty involving His people (the church), called to represent a new and living way, ‘in it but not of it’, sharing the truth, as well as maintaining and reflecting different values, not as Holy Joe’s, but as people who lives are reshaped by a powerful, exciting life changing event.
Pastor Chris Reed
RCI London
